The original dog blog!

Uh-oh! Is Fido in the toilet again? Maybe he isn’t getting enough attention. That’s right, dogs usually misbehave because they do not get enough attention. The worst thing you can do is to let him fend for himself. You need to play with him and love on him to keep him happy. Dogs are pack animals, and they require lots of attention. I’ve said this many times before, but dogs are a lot like kids.

Dogs do what works. That means they do whatever they have to to get attention, or rewards. Attention, to a dog, is a form of reward. So even if it is negative attention, it is still better than no attention, to your dog. Drinking from the toilet is rewarding, after all, the dog is getting "fresh" water and it’s raised up instead of on the floor. That means it’s easier for him to drink out of than his water bowl. It also gives him an adreneline rush because there is the chance of getting caught. If he gets away with it, he will continue to do it.

Some people actually try to reason with their pooch. They try to tell them that drinking from the toilet is gross. Do not try to reason with your dog about drinking from the toilet. Try thinking like a dog. After all, a lot of dogs eat their own poop, and lick places you’d never want to imagine! Drinking from a recently flushed toilet seems a bit better doesn’t it? At least to your dog it does.

So if your dog is misbehaving, ignore it. Now I’m not saying if you catch your dog drinking from the toilet you should just let him. The best way to train you dog not to do things like that is prevention. Do not allow your dog access to the toilet or anything he could get into that he shouldn’t. But if your dog is doing something bad to get your attention, ignore it. This means don’t give him attention by scolding him for doing bad things. Give him attention only when he does something you like. For example: If your dog is jumping on you to get attention, ignore his jumping, redirect his behavior by give him a command to sit, and when he does.. acknowledge him with abundance.

Remember, your dog loves you and all he wants to do is please you. So show him when he does and you’ll be great friends .

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thecanineguru

I am a canine behaviorist of 27 years and offer canine rehabilitation, training, and behavior change to clients under the given name "The Canine Guru."
I am known mostly for my online presence through my blogs, Doggy Times and Doggy Times II. Both were honored by MSN Editors multiple times.
My methodology focuses on energy and how to use and read it. I firmly believe in operant conditioning and positive reinforcement. I don't feel that choke, pinch, or electric collars are necessary when working with dogs. The harshest method I ever use is the squirt bottle and the occasional touch, or poke.
I'm known for "speaking" to dogs in their own language using body language, energy, touch, and the occasional sound.

3 thoughts on “Why Dogs Misbehave”

Finally, someone is saying it as it really is!And yes, you are right, dogs are very much like kids.They also know how to get what they want.One of my favorite books to suggest people read is called "It’s Not the Dogs, It’s The People! A Dog Trainer’s Guide to Training Humans"Terrific and insightful.Claudia

I think that attention is important, but first and formost your dog needs to be excersized! A big year and a ball is not going to cut it either! Your dog should be taken out for a walk every day for at least 30 minutes, maybe even longer! For high active dogs, a doggie backpack might be a good investment. I disagree with ignoring your dog when it is misbehaving though. Letting your dog jump up on you and just ignoring the action is not going to solve the problem. Dogs are not people, so PLEASE do not humanize your dog. If you ask your dog to sit and he does not, then you need to correct him by either making him sit, or taking hold of his paws and not letting go until he pulls away. This teaches your dog that jumping up is not fun, and he will soon get the idea. Lots of excersize will help your dog to feel that his day has been fufulled. A dog who sits home all day and has nothing to do is 10 times more likly to misbehave you when come home. I would suggest that anyone who has a dog read a few Cesar Millan books!

Raine, I think you forgot to read the next to last sentence. I explain that you should ignore the bad behavior and redirect it to something good. I would never say to just let a dog jump on a person. If the dog is jumping up and you push him down, he is more likely to jump again. If you grab his paws, you could hurt him, this could also be viewed as a challenge by an alpha dog. The best thing to do is to ask for a different behavior, such as sit. Because if you dog is sitting for you, he can not jump. Plus he learns that sitting is more rewarding than jumping up because when he jumps up he is ignored. But when he sits, he gets your attention, which is what he’s after in the first place. By doing this, you are teaching your dog to sit for attention. Your dog will know exactly what to do to get your attention, whereas by grabbing his paws, you aren’t really teaching him a clear way to get your attention. You are just hurting him. Your dog is actually more likely to not try to get your attention at all if you hurt him when he tries, or he will redirect that energy himself into something else that you will not like.

Excersize is important, but it is not the topic of this particular blog entry. And yes, Cesar is great on some things. However, keep in mind that he has been sued many times by his clients. Why? One time he or his staff, tied a dog to a treadmill with a leash and choke chain. The choke chain locked up on the dog as the dog lost his balance and severed his trachea. The poor dog was bleeding from his nose and mouth. There have been several incidents like this. I admire Cesar, however, I do not agree with everything he says. There are much better ways to teach dogs certain behaviors.. plus Cesar doesn’t train dogs, he rehibilitates them. There’s a difference. Thanks for stopping by Doggy Times.